47.

‘elve pieces of bone of a small Wall ‘OnSISting i
twelve p Wallaby (consisting of portions of the skull, ear-bones, lambar verte

and small bones of the feet), three pieces of moss, a spray of Acacia blossom, some small
7 . e a v ae S C
Eucalyptus, an egg-bag of a spider, six specimens of a land-shell (which my ¢

bree,

seed-cones of a

olleague Mr. Charles

Ene eee : g . Charles Hedle

informs me is an unnamed and remarkably keeled and depressed variety of 7% os
S c : O ter

‘ eet anf ee ; sites goulosa,
Gould), and one specimen of Helecarion verreauxi. The photograph shows the front. vie , finitl
e S s yiew oO 2
bower only. the
‘6 - ir ‘re : eo ese f° : see fet pe 2
These birds are at the present time committing great havoc in the orchards in the south coastal districts
of the colony—probably from a scarcity of their normal food, owing to the late bush-fres and exceeding!
5 s ¢ 2xCce Dy
dry season.” gly

I have also received from Mr. ty Souef the ad . :
Mr. Dudley Le Souef the accompanying beautiful photo

graph of a bower
. :
of the present species found by him near Melbourne. ,

 

Dr. E. P. Ramsay describes the eggs of the Satin Bower-bird as follows :—

“The eggs vary in proportionate length, but are usually long ovals, seldom even slightly swollen towards
the thicker end; the ground-colour is of a rich cream or light stone-colour, spotted and blotched with
irregular patchy markings, and a few dots of amber and sienna-brown of different tints, in some almost
approaching blackish-brown, in others of a yellowish colour; the larger markings are, as usual, on the
thicker end, but a few appear with the small dots on the thin end. In this, the usual form, the irregular
short wavy lines previously mentioned seldom appear except where the larger spots or blotches are
confluent; as if beneath the surface of the shell are a few irregularly shaped faint markings of slaty-
grey or pale lilac. The eggs above described were taken from open nests composed of sticks and twigs,
and lined with grass, by Mr. Ralph Hargrave, at Wattamolla, New South Wales.”

The following descriptions are taken from my ‘ Catalogue of Birds ’:—

Adult male, General colour above and below purplish black, the feathers having concealed greyish
bases; upper tail-coverts black, broadly bordered and_ tipped with purple; quills and tail black, the
feathers edged with purple: “bill bluish horn, passing into yellow at the tip; legs and feet yellowish white 5
iris beautiful light blue, with a circle of red round the pupil ” (Gould). Total length 12°0 inches, culmen 1:4,
wing 6°6, tail 4-5, tarsus 2°15.

Adult female. Different from the male. General colour above greyish green, with a shade of bluish
on the edges of the feathers, the rump and upper tail-coverts greener than the back; lesser and median
wing-coverts like the back, the latter edged with whity brown along the tips; greater and primary wing-
coverts reddish brown, the innermost secondaries shaded with bluish and tipped with a bar of whity brown
like the secondaries ;_ tail-feathers golden brown, with a slight shade of bluish ashy on the centre feathers ;
lores and feathers round the eye a little browner than the head; ear-coverts and cheeks ashy brown, thickly
streaked with yellowish-butf shaft-stripes ; throat ashy brown, with a tinge of greenish grey, and slightly
athers; remainder of the under surface pale yellowish,

mottled with dusky greenish margins to the fe
s less pronounced

the feathers all mottled with bars of blackish brown, tinged with bluish green, these bar

 

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